Tristana

A more straightforward film from Buñuel. That's not a bad thing mind, I'm not that big a big fan of Buñuel's more surreal films. Somehow they come off a bit too preachy and on the nose, though there's quite a bit of that here too. But at least characters just come out and say what they think, rather than having to peer at thinly veiled symbolism for an entire film.

The story revolves around Tristana, a young girl who is taken in by an old (and rather shabby) aristocrat. She is thankful for his help, but doesn't really appreciate his romantic advances. Even though she complies, there's a part of her that wants a different life, which she hopes to find with a local painter.

The cinematography is pretty dim, characters are rather stoic and the film seems void of any emotion. Characters are very talkative though and mostly express what they're feeling, which isn't really something I appreciate. The second half's a little better and the short runtime makes it bearable, but otherwise not a very interesting film.